Taming the Beast: Charles Manson's Life Behind Bars by Edward George, Dary Matera Page B
Authors: Edward George, Dary Matera
Ads: Link
on December 13, 1974, two Manson followers nearly escaped from Folsom by using a hacksaw blade to cut through the bars of their cells. The pair, Como and a multiple cop killer named Bobby Davis, almost pulled it off. They were fractions away from creating an opening when a guard found steel shaving outside Como’s cell window and exposed the plot. A third inmate, rapist-robber Gerald Gallant, was also in on the attempted break.
It’s not known whether Manson intended to join them, but an incident that happened a year before is revealing. The trio had a violent disagreement that led to Como beating the tar out of his former guru in the Adjustment Center exercise yard. Como was so furious he refused to stop until the guards began firing warning shots. Manson was left shaken and bloodied. Como later explained to me that he was in love with a Manson girl named Catherine “Gypsy” Share, and that the relationship upset Charlie because he wanted his girls to love only him. Charlie sent word to Squeaky that the affair should end. Like a good Manson disciple, Gypsy obeyed, withholding her charms from the talented escape artist. Como was enraged, biding his time until he could personally express his anger. Manson’s misguided attempt at control not only resulted in a serious ass-kicking, he was obviously left out of the long-planned escape. (Como, still seething twenty-four months later, was one of the two ABs who attacked Manson in the Folsom yard in May 1975. Como eventually won Share back and married her.)
Manson responded that incidents like that were the main reason he had so many women and so few men in his family. The women could adore and obey him as a lover-master, while the men often wanted little more than to fornicate with the gullible women and make them their own.
After the escape plan was thwarted, a few Manson women used their feminine wiles to hook up with some of the Aryan Brothers. More robberies by the Aryan Brothers followed, with part of the cash used to pay lawyers to file Manson’s appeals.
This group infested a resort area in Guerneville, California, near the Russian River. That put them fifty miles north of San Quentin. Many people came in and out of the house they rented, but the main residents were Nancy Pitman, 24, Priscilla Cooper, 21, “Crystal” Alonzo, 21, and Aryan Brothers Michael Lee Monfort, 24, James “Spider” Craig, 33, and William “the Iceman” Goucher, 23. The men were all ex-cons with Aryan Brother tattoos splashed across their chest.
The gang met a young couple, James and Lauren “Reni” Willett, and invited them to stay at their flophouse. Usually, the Manson Family was a tight organization that was wary of strangers, but these strangers had something they wanted—a late-model station wagon. Lauren was an impressionable girl of eighteen who had been raised with a firm hand. The fast, free, easy lifestyle of the Manson clan was wildly appealing to the buxom blonde. James, twenty-six, was the son of a wealthy Kentucky whiskey distiller. James had been reared in Catholic schools and considered the priesthood before opting for a stint in the marines. With that background, it’s no surprise that he resisted his young wife’s infatuation with the Manson Family and tried to dissuade her from hanging around with them. He argued that it was no place to raise their newborn baby girl.
James’s father came for a visit when they were living in another part of town. His father, naturally, was startled to learn that his daughter-in-law was associating with such a notorious group. Pulling up in a cab, Mr. Willett was so unnerved by the sight of Manson clan members around the house that he told the driver to wait, cutting his visit short. He pleaded with his son to leave with him, but James didn’t want to abandon his wife and child.
Lauren, oblivious of their concerns, continued hanging around with her exciting new friends. James reluctantly went along. When the Vietnam veteran
It’s not known whether Manson intended to join them, but an incident that happened a year before is revealing. The trio had a violent disagreement that led to Como beating the tar out of his former guru in the Adjustment Center exercise yard. Como was so furious he refused to stop until the guards began firing warning shots. Manson was left shaken and bloodied. Como later explained to me that he was in love with a Manson girl named Catherine “Gypsy” Share, and that the relationship upset Charlie because he wanted his girls to love only him. Charlie sent word to Squeaky that the affair should end. Like a good Manson disciple, Gypsy obeyed, withholding her charms from the talented escape artist. Como was enraged, biding his time until he could personally express his anger. Manson’s misguided attempt at control not only resulted in a serious ass-kicking, he was obviously left out of the long-planned escape. (Como, still seething twenty-four months later, was one of the two ABs who attacked Manson in the Folsom yard in May 1975. Como eventually won Share back and married her.)
Manson responded that incidents like that were the main reason he had so many women and so few men in his family. The women could adore and obey him as a lover-master, while the men often wanted little more than to fornicate with the gullible women and make them their own.
After the escape plan was thwarted, a few Manson women used their feminine wiles to hook up with some of the Aryan Brothers. More robberies by the Aryan Brothers followed, with part of the cash used to pay lawyers to file Manson’s appeals.
This group infested a resort area in Guerneville, California, near the Russian River. That put them fifty miles north of San Quentin. Many people came in and out of the house they rented, but the main residents were Nancy Pitman, 24, Priscilla Cooper, 21, “Crystal” Alonzo, 21, and Aryan Brothers Michael Lee Monfort, 24, James “Spider” Craig, 33, and William “the Iceman” Goucher, 23. The men were all ex-cons with Aryan Brother tattoos splashed across their chest.
The gang met a young couple, James and Lauren “Reni” Willett, and invited them to stay at their flophouse. Usually, the Manson Family was a tight organization that was wary of strangers, but these strangers had something they wanted—a late-model station wagon. Lauren was an impressionable girl of eighteen who had been raised with a firm hand. The fast, free, easy lifestyle of the Manson clan was wildly appealing to the buxom blonde. James, twenty-six, was the son of a wealthy Kentucky whiskey distiller. James had been reared in Catholic schools and considered the priesthood before opting for a stint in the marines. With that background, it’s no surprise that he resisted his young wife’s infatuation with the Manson Family and tried to dissuade her from hanging around with them. He argued that it was no place to raise their newborn baby girl.
James’s father came for a visit when they were living in another part of town. His father, naturally, was startled to learn that his daughter-in-law was associating with such a notorious group. Pulling up in a cab, Mr. Willett was so unnerved by the sight of Manson clan members around the house that he told the driver to wait, cutting his visit short. He pleaded with his son to leave with him, but James didn’t want to abandon his wife and child.
Lauren, oblivious of their concerns, continued hanging around with her exciting new friends. James reluctantly went along. When the Vietnam veteran
Similar Books
